


henry, darling

by moonstruckfool



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Mother-Son Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonstruckfool/pseuds/moonstruckfool
Summary: Henry thinks love must be the most complicated thing ever to exist. But if Mother is all right with it, so is he.
Relationships: Elizabeth Swann & Henry Turner
Kudos: 10





	henry, darling

**Author's Note:**

> this has been sitting in my google docs for far too long and I have looked at it too many times and couldn't think how to make it better so here you go, I guess? 
> 
> comments and kudos appreciated and treasured!

Mother is staring out to sea again, and Henry knows she is thinking of Father. Well, he supposes she must do that very often, but when she sits by the window and gets that look on her face, he knows she is being sad about it. He doesn't quite know what to do about it; usually, he just reads or plays quietly with his tin soldiers and hopes very loudly in his head that she might feel better soon. It's silly, he knows, for a big boy of eight, but somehow he believes that if he hopes hard enough or thinks loudly enough that either she or Father might hear him, and that might make her a little less sad. 

He is doing it now, hiding behind his book but peeking around it at Mother.  _ Father, Mum is sad. I wish you would come back sooner. It would make her happy.  _

A tear rolls down his mother's cheek, and he sees her bite her lip. That isn't something that usually happens; she must be very sad today. He is suddenly angry - Father is far, far away, and can't at all see Mother or know that she is sad.  _ Look what you've done to her!  _ He sets down his book and walks determinedly to her. 

"Mum?" He sees her start, and she wipes at her face and smiles at him, opening her mouth. He beats her to it. "I think Father has been very unkind to you, to go away for such a very long time and not even visit. It is very rude of him."

She frowns, then smiles at him again. "Henry, Father never meant to leave us. It isn't his fault in the slightest."

"Then why did he go? Didn't he love you?"

"He had to, Henry. Of course he loved me very much. He didn't want to go."

It is his turn to frown. "Well, he makes you sad, and I don't think people who love you should do that."

She chuckles. "They shouldn't, Henry, but your father doesn't. I am not sad because he loves me - in fact, I am very happy that he does. It's because I love him that I am sad. I miss him very much."

This is all rather confusing, but he manages to work it out. "Well, then I don't think you should love him."

She looks surprised. "Whyever not?" 

"Because it makes you sad. Why do you want to make yourself sad?"

"Henry, darling, my loving him doesn't make me sad all the time. Most of the time, I'm very happy that I love your father."

"Why?"

"Well," she says, putting a finger on his nose, "if I hadn't loved him, I might never have loved you. You wouldn't be here for me to love." She smiles and kisses his forehead. "Do you understand, now?"

"Yes."

She draws him to her and hugs him tightly.

"Mum?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Are you still sad?"

"Not anymore, darling."


End file.
